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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Water crew search leads to lead ... Darex adding space and employees amid a sales boom ... Family, pet escape Medford house fire safely ... Water crew search leads to lead ... Darex adding space and employees amid a sales boom ... Family, pet escape Medford house fire safely ... PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE: Gov. Kate Brown says school districts must provide annual lead reports Comment By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press Posted Jun. 21, 2016 at 2:49 PM Updated Jun 21, 2016 at 5:23 PM By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press Posted Jun. 21, 2016 at 2:49 PM Updated Jun 21, 2016 at 5:23 PM » Social News PORTLAND — Oregon's 197 school districts could spend summer break crafting procedures for testing lead, radon and other chemicals at their campuses ahead of Oct. 1, when the plans would be handed over to the state. These "Healthy and Safe Facilities Plans" were announced Tuesday by Gov. Kate Brown, who said she directed the Oregon Department of Education to draft requirements for testing and monitoring the health safety of campus buildings that otherwise don't exist for schools at the state or federal level. Brown's directive comes after last month's disclosure of high lead levels found in drinking water at two Portland schools, igniting community outcry at a time when the Flint, Michigan, water scandal has brought national attention to the issue. The Oregon Department of Education will discuss the draft rules during its next meeting Thursday, and is accepting the public's input through Aug. 17. "Any threat to the health and safety of a child in any school or classroom is unacceptable," Brown said in a statement, adding that as state-level agencies respond to the crisis, "local school districts and public charter schools also have the obligation to ensure transparency and accountability to parents and communities." Under the preliminary rules, school districts would submit plans for testing water, air quality and hazardous waste sites — paying attention to lead and radon specifically — with any results reported annually to the state and disclosed to the community online. The draft rules don't say how often these tests should occur, but Amy Wojcicki, spokeswoman for the education department, said schools will go by whatever testing frequency is recommended by a federal regulatory agency. "So if it's an (Environmental Protection Agency) guideline, it'll be whatever the EPA regulations are," Wojcicki. Information on potential costs or funding sources for those costs was not immediately available. By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press Posted Jun. 21, 2016 at 2:49 PM Updated Jun 21, 2016 at 5:23 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501